Upholstered furniture



May 1, 1962 D. F. CALDEMEYER ETAL 3,031,691

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE Filed March 16, 1959 INVENTORS.

l. L oro 0. (77.4 D15/firm.

Uited States Patent 3,031,691 UPHOLSTERED FURNlTURE Daniel F. Calderneyer, 43ll0tlennings Lane, Vanderbnrgh County, Ind., and Lloyd Oscar Caldemeyer, 3815 E. Mulberry St., Evansville, Ind.

Filed Maro 16, 1959, Ser. No. 799,645 4 Claims. (Cl. 5-354) The present invention relates to upholstered furniture and more particularly to -an improved edge roll therefor which is convenient to `assemble and effective during use.

It has long lbeen the custom in the upholstered furniture business to utilize various forms of edge rolls on the base section of upholstered units to position and retain cushioning thereon. Many of these prior edge rolls involved `considerable stitching operations in the assembly thereof and, oftentimes, a complex combination of pattern making and stitching land/or stapling in connection with other components forming the finished upholstered unit. Y

By virtue of the instant invention, the applicants have provided a new and improved edge roll for upholstered furniture which is :built around a foam layer disposed on a base element extending from the rails forming the framework of the base section of the unit, with the spring members for the base section extending therebeneath for attachment to the respective base rails. The applicants novel edge roll structure affords a simplicity in `assembly not present in any of the prior art devices, as well as a total unit which is attractive `as well as very durable during use.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an edge roll for upholstered furniture which is simple to assemble and position on the upholstered unit during the assembly thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an edge roll for upholstered furniture which utilizes a foam type material therewith to effect a comfortable yet durable finished structure.

Another `and more general object of the present invention is to provide an edge roll for upholstered furniture which may be effectively integrated with prior manufacturing techniques and, thus, represent structural as well as economic advantages to the user.

Other objects and a better understanding of the invention will become more apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which;

FIG. l is a view in vertical section showing the edge roll forming the instant invention in typical use;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure of FIG. 1, with much of the edge roll removed, exposing the base element and spring members;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the applicants novel edge roll, generally corresponding to the view of FIG. l; and,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation, generally looking toward the right of the view of FIG. 3, with the decorative fabric removed, showing certain details of the structure on which the instant invention is used.

Por the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now to the figures, the applicants new and improved edge roll is shown in connection with a :typical base section 10 for an lupholstered furniture unit which includes a front rail 11, a rear rail 12 and side rails 14 which, together with the bottom ends of back posts 15, define a lgenerally rectangular base frame. The fragmentary view of the base section 10 disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 is completed by plate members 16 which, through screw means 16a, connect each side rail 14 with the back posts 15. In addition, leg plate members 18 onto which legs 19 are conventionally secured are shown disposed beneath the frame of the base section 10.

Noting particularly the structure disclosed in FIG. 2, conventional no-sag type springs 21 extend between and are secured onto the top surfaces of the front rail 11 and the rear rail 12, the engagement thereto being through the use of a conventional clamp member 21a (see also FlG. 4). A generally parallel series of spaced-apart springs 21 are commonly used in the base section 10 of the upholstered furniture unit and, for purposes of increased rigidity, coil springs 23 connect the springs 21 adjacent the top of the side rails 14 to the side rails 14, one end of the coil springs 23 preferably being urged into the plane of the top surface of the side rails 14. In addition, and for the same purpose as coil springs 23, wire sections 24 (only one of which -is shown in FIG. 2) eX- tend between the other springs 21.

4 The applicants new and improved edge roll 2S comprises base members 26a and 26b which are respectively secured to the front rail 11 and the side rails 14, and extend inwardly toward the center of the upholstered unit. In the preferred form of the invention, base members 26a and 26h are made from plywood, and are machine stitched together. As should be apparent from FIG. 4, when assembled, the base element 26a is not supported directly on the front rail 11, but rather rests on a series of spacedapart blocks 27, which through common fastening means, such as nails, for example, are secured to the front rail 11. It should be understood that the spaced-apart blocks 27 are peculiar to use with the front rail 11 and are not used with the side rails 14 or the rear rail 12 inasmuch as the spaces between the spaced-apart blocks 27 provide areas fordirect attachment of the ends of the springs 21 to the front rail 11. Moreover, it should be understood that the blocks 27 may be an integral part of the front rail 11, rather than separate as shown in the drawing.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the completely assembled upholstered unit comprises an insulator layer 30, such as burlap, for example, which is placed over the spring assembly, one end and a side thereof being secured to the top of the blocks 27 and to the top of the side rails 14, respectively, assuming the upholstered furniture is armless at one end thereof, with the other end of the insulator layer 30 being secured to the top surface of the rear rail 12. Disposed above the insulator layer 30 is a common padding layer 31, preferably cotton or like material, which may be placed thereon to cover any desired area, preferably, however, to a line beneath the base members 26a and 26b. Disposed above the padding layer 31 is denim material 32 which is secured to the top of the blocks 27 and to the top of the side rails 14, and to the rear rail 12, in the manner described above in connection with the insulator layer 30'.

The finished edge roll forming the instant invention comprises a decorative material 33 which engages the under surface of the base members 26a and 26h and extends upwardly and frontwardly over a foam or cellular material, such as rubber or the like, and `then downwardly in front of the upholstered unit for attachment to the under surface of the front rail 11. It might be mentioned that the insulator layer 30, the denim material 32 and the decorative material 33 are secured to their respective e11- gaging surfaces through conventional means, such as by a common tacking operation, for example.

In assembly, after the framework has been completed and the blocks 27 placed on the top surface of the front rail 11 in spaced-apart relationship and fastened thereto, the springs 21 are disposed between the front and rear rails 11 and 12, respectively, and attached as described hereabove. The auxiliary strengthening members 23 and 24 are then positioned in the spring structure.

The insulator layer 30 is then stretched over the spring assembly and secured to the respective front, side and rear rails, and the padding layer 3l placed thereover. The seat vportion of the base section 1Q is then completed by the use of the aforedescribed denim material 32, which is secured to the front, side and rear rails in the same manner as the insulator layer 30.

The decorative fabric 33 is secured to what will be the bottom surface of the assembled base members 26a and 2617, adjacent the inside edge thereof, and the base members are then fastened onto the top surface of the side rails 14 and to the blocks 27 disposed on the top of the front rail 111, as by nailing, for exarnple. A foam or cellular material 35, -such as rubber or the like, which is pre-cut into any desired configuration in vertical section, is then secured to the base members 26a and 26h by means of spots of adhesive (not shown). The decorative fabric 33 is then drawn over the foam material 35 and downwardly over the front of the base section for attachment to the under surface of the front rail 11 to complete the assembly operation.

From the preceding it should be apparent that the applicants have provided a new and novel edge roll which is readily assembled and which is effective during use. The edge roll includes a foam or cellular type material laid onto an inwardly extending base member, or members, disposed on the top of the front and/or side rails of a base section of an upholstered furniture unit, with the entire structure being simplified to eliminate the thread stitching operations commonly in use heretofore.

The applicants novel edge roll is susceptible to various changes Iwithin lthe spirit of the invention. For example, the dimensions of the respective components can be altered, as desired, and, as mentioned hereabove, the area of padding material used can be extended or lessened in any direction as desired by the user. Although the structure herein has been shown in connection with no-sag type springs, it should be understood that coil springs may also be used in the base section with equally effective results. Thus, the above description should be considered illustrative and not as limiting Ithe scope of the following claims.

We claim:

l. An edge roll assembly for upholstered furniture comprising, in combination, a base framework formed by a front rail, a rear rail and side rails, rigid bearing surfaces disposed along said front rail and defining upwardly opening recessed portions therebetween adapted to receive and position springs disposed between said front rail, said rear rail, and said side rails, a rigid base member mounted on said rigid bearing surfaces and extending partly towards said rear rail, said rigid base member having a foam material disposed thereon and a decorative fabric secured thereto, said decorative fabric overlying said foam material and secured to said front rail, and an insulator layer overlying said springs and having a padding layer and a base fabric respectively disposed thereover.

2. An edge roll assembly for upholstered furniture comprising, in combination, a base framework formed by a front rail, a rear rail and said rails, rigid support members spaced along said front rail and defining upwardly opening recessed portions therebetween adapted to receive and position springs disposed between said front rail, said rear rail, and said side rails, a rigid base member mounted on said rigid support members and extending partly towards said rear rail, said rigid base member having a foam material disposed thereon and a decorative fabric secured thereto, said decorative fabric overlying said foam material and secured to said front rail, and an insulator layer overlying said springs and having a padding layer and a base fabric respectively disposed thereover, said insulator layer and said base fabric secured to said rigid support members beneath said rigid base member.

3. An edge roll assembly for upholstered furniture comprising, in combination, a base framework formed by a front rail, a rear rail and side rails, rigid bearing surfaces disposed along said front rail and defining cut-out portions therebetween, said cut-out portions each having a surface disposed beneath said bearing surfaces adapted to receive and position a spring disposed between said front rail, said rear rail, and said side rails, a rigid base member mounted on and extending inwardly from the outer edge of said rigid bearing surfaces partly towards said rear rail, said rigid base member having a foam material disposed thereon and a decorative fabric secured thereto, said decorative fabric overlying said foam material and secured to said front rail, and an insulator layer overlying said springs and having a padding layer and a base fabric respectively disposed thereover, said insulator layer and said base fabric secured to said rigid bearing surfaces beneath said rigid base member.

4. The structure of claim 3 where said rigid bearing surfaces are an integral part of said front rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,301 Trautvetter Nov. 28, 1933 2,235,554- Hopkes et al Mar. 18, 1941 2,359,047 Mitchell Sept. 26, 1944 2,404,883 Mouw Iuly 30, 1946 2,459,756 Flint Ian. 18, 1949 2,656,880 Graupner Oct. 27, 1953 2,788,845 Bond et al. Apr. 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,093,612 France Nov. 24, 1954 

